The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1887-06-02
Memorial Address OF the
Honorable III. B.
Earnhart.
Delivered at Logan, May
30ih, 1887.
FELLOW CITIZENS =

oh, land of the free and the brave oh
land under whose laws and flag W,
have been born /; land that contains
the dust of those we have known ant
loved; here today, we pledge our
selves anew to that country SO Tree. arc
in defense of whose laws, many have
offered their lives; oh land, that wa;
the home of our. fathers; land, thai
hereby holds the dust of our dead, and
where we all soon will be gathered
| fire our hearts with some of that love
of country that dwelt in the bodies OF
tie fathers, who are now asleep.
We read, that the Chinaman when
| he dies, has but one request-that his
remains may be carried back beyond
the seas, and there rest by his fathers.
We read that the bones of Jacob and
Joseph, at the end of a. weary pilgrim :
age, were laid to rest in their ancient
possessions, and amidst the patriachs
OF old. Oh country, nobler than all
these, we thank thee that we have liy-
ed under thy flag, and can be buried
in thy dust. We thank thee, il our bro
theirs and sons and fathers must die,
| that il thould be in thy defense. There
is no better country, no freer land.
We do not know that our air is purer
than that of other lands we do not
know that its soil is more bounteous ;
we know that others like Jacob and
Josep have loved their own land. We
know, long ago men died that their
country might live, and this we do
know, that this Is our country. that
here under the stars and stripes, our
fathers and mothers were born. That
here, we first engaged in youthful
sports; that here. our friends and kim
dred, some are living and some are
dead. This is our land, and to us it is
the noblest of earth. Show me the
sword" said one Omar to Amru, the
warrior, with which you have slain so
many infdels.n "Ah," said the war
rior, "the sword without the arm is no
sharper and heavier than other swords.
So our country would not have been
pobler, and freer, than other lands, but
for the arms that were barred in her
defense :. that carried her banners,
and won her victories on land and sea.
We meet today, to remember our dead,
and swear fealty to that county In
whose defense they offered their lives.
But while we remember so well this
first scene of 1869, when We strewed
flowers over the graves of our countrys
dead, we remember more wildly ano-
ther scene We remainder more vivid
ly other days; We remember and re-
call faces we once saw and knew we
rem ember steps, once familiar we re-
member sons, brothers and fathers,
whose faces were faces Of home ; we
remember voices that are hushed now
we remember hearing the drums, and
seeing the tented fields; We remember
the uniforms, the arms, the parades
we remember seeing the troops in bat
tie array. But alas how changed
now. Many are the faces absent now;
many the tongues shat are siieRt;
many are the hearts that no more will
be filled with enthusiasm by martial
music. They are dead Some of them
died upon the field of battle some Of
them died oc disease while in the front.
Some are not here, nor are their re-
mains. Their bones whi.cn upon
Southern battlefelds. Some died, and
tleir. remains were carried home for in
terment. So by shot and d;sea 'e, they
fell here and there, and have been
gathered in your cemetery to rest un-
til called to meet the ruler of armies
and of men. Then they will all be
marshalled again then the long roll
will again sound then they will all
assemble life-like and joyous as in the
days oil old. The l40 and thousand
that John saw, will have added thereto
the heroes and patriots of all just wars
Their We shall see those we once saw,
and talk with those, whose tongues are
now silent. 1t is not strange to me,
that those who died along the Potomac,
or with the armies Of the West desired |
to be brought home, and buried within
their neigh5orhood cemeteries. Dying !
We thiak of home. No death more sad
than that of the soldier, when away
from kindred, dying alone. When we
walk midst the tombs of the dead, how
many of .he same name sleep side by
side how many families are together?
The grave becomes the home of the
family after the fre-side. 1t is but
natural, that We wish to die and be
buried midst those, with whom we have
been born and reared. IF it had not
been for the Civil War, many would be
here now, who sleep in your cemetery.
Theiis was not the natural death. 1t
was disloYal tholghts, and disloyal
arms that cut short their career. Theirs
was the death of violence, and of war.
We remember, most wildly, the stir
ring scenes of 1861. 1t is good to be
even old enough to recall in memory
those scenes again. 1t does not so inn
press us now. 1t takes states seeding,
armies marching, sons dying, brothers
starting to the seat of war. 1t takes
death and carnage, and mourning in
Dur homes to move US. as did the Stir
ring events of the Civil War. Our fa-
Tiers left this government with slaves
and slavery. l consider it one of the
most wonderful events in our slives to
meet men and women who we're bought
and sold as slaves. Slavery coald not
live in just government. II must
perish. The storm gathered, and in
1861 broke over the Union. At the
Charleston Convention, the Democrat
ic party OF the North denounced the
rules OF the South. In the choice OF
President in 1860, Abraham Lincoln.
The martyred President, swept the
field. Immediately after his election,
the South began to drill troops for
Civil War. One month before Lincoln
took his seat, as President of the Uni
ted States, South Carolina, Florida,
Alabama, Louisiana, Geo 'gia, Mississ-
ppi and Texas had united under the |
palmetto Gag. Soon the South had a
.reat army, armed and drilled, ready TO
meet and destroy 4 Northern army, up
IN any Southern field. Lincoln travel
d in disguise to reach The seat of gov
.rnment, prior to his inauguration.
\ hen he looked around, he found to
confront this vast rebel army, spread
IA: over LOCO miles of territory, but
100 Union soldiers. Then it was that
he news came flashing over the wires,
hat Rebel army, with shot and she'll,
Vas batiering down the walls of Fort
,umpter, and then it was that the mar
yred pres dent called upon your sous,
md jrothcrs. and fathers 10 come to
he rescue OF this government. How nu-
lsTousiy they responded. CrippieS, bro
.en bones and cemeteries answer In &c
pOi:se 10 the call. from the pT'ilrics OF ,he
IL st, from the hills of New England, from
i:e'icit. and the slope, cit:ne forth l,S0j,-
~ Iien.
=
For four lonG years continued this strug
lie of coEIci iGlng armies, anu after In"ny
Bull Run and Shiloh, aIier many Weeks
urg anu Stone River, and after many II
cath and many Il wound, the white flag
;;is raised ut Appomatoa. and Johnson
ulendered 10 an invading army, that III
Mar. IN the had Si.rt,.SSeI The
Zp;oits o; Hannibal in Italy, or Napoleon |
N his tireary and barren march, to lay in
uirs the Russian Moscow. Twenty years
nd more have gone by since Lee surren-
cred at Appomatiox twenty years.
as. fall visited the battle fields OF Mis-
ion Ridge / stood oE Lookout Mountain,
nd gazed away off TO tire right, saw Ross
lille and the fields of Chic;niauga, and TO
he left and front, Chattanooga anu Mis-
ion Ridge. Even Yet, there are signs OF
ae stl u;.3ie OF more !iian Il quarter OF II
entury' az j then visited tie National
einctcry. We drove around upon its